Kilmarnock 0-3 Rangers
Miovski (33′, 54′) Moore (81′)
Rangers reclaimed 4th place in the Scottish Premiership after a clinical victory at BBSP Rugby Park, pushing Kilmarnock’s losing run to nine games.
The visitors were looking to bounce back from consecutive draws and had the game’s first chance. Miovski headed Connor Barron’s free kick straight at Tobi Oluwayemi in the 7th minute.
Rangers continued to grow into the match. Djeidi Gassama latched onto a Mohamed Diomande pass in the 14th minute, but flashed his left-footed strike over the bar from a tight angle.
Bruce Anderson raced clear of the Rangers’ backline three minutes later. He lifted the ball over the onrushing Jack Butland, but Connor Barron was on hand to clear off the line.
Stuart Kettlewell’s side looked structured in their approach; they limited Rangers in the forward areas for much of the first half, drawing belief from the home faithful.
That was until the 32nd minute, thanks to Miovski. The Macedonian striker gathered the ball in a crowded box and squeezed a clever left-footed strike past Oluwayemi, who perhaps could have done better with the poked shot.
Anderson flashed a half-volley wide of Butland’s goal four minutes later as the home side looked to respond; however, it had been a frustrating half for Kettlewell’s men.
Miovski added his second goal of the game in the 53rd minute. Nicolas Raskin drove at the home defence and fed the striker at the back post. After cutting inside, he drilled a low strike past Oluwayemi at his near post.
Anderson smashed a low strike towards goal from a Dom Thompson corner kick in the 64th minute, but Scott Tiffoney could not convert. Butland pushed away a Robbie Deas header from the next corner, as the home side attempted to hit back.
Barron misjudged a backpass in the final 15 minutes, but Butland was on hand to clear from Anderson’s path. The goalkeeper took plenty of Anderson in his clearance, but VAR took no further action.
Substitute Mikey Moore sealed the three points in the 80th minute. The winger scampered infield after turning away from Lewis Mayo and delivered a composed strike into the bottom corner from the centre of the box.
Moore thought he had added Rangers’ fourth moments later, after dinking Oluwayemi from a tight angle. But play was rightly brought back for an Emmanuel Fernandez foul in the buildup.
Butland produced a low save to deny Tyrece John-Jules in additional time. The victory moves Rangers back to fourth place and level on points with Motherwell in third. They return to Europa League action against Ferencvárosi on Thursday evening.
Kilmarnock: Oluwayemi 5 Brown 6 Mayo 5 Deas 5 Thompson 6 Kiltie 6 Polworth 6 Watson 7 Tiffoney 5 Anderson 6 Dackers 7
Substitutes: Lowery 6 John-Jules 6 Brannan 5
Rangers: Butland 7 Aarons 7 Djiga 7 Fernandez 7 Meghoma 7 Raskin 8 Barron 8 Diomande 7 Gassama 7 Miovski 8 Bajrami 6
Substitutes: Curtis 6 Danilo 6 Tavernier 6 Chermiti 6 Moore 7
